Inspector Harinder Singh Sekhon The CBI on Monday night arrested two people, including the brother of a local BJP leader, in an alleged bribery case. But what really set the ball rolling in the case, prodding the agency to jump into action, was a complaint filed by one Deepak, who owns a meat shop in Phase-2 Ramdarbar of Chandigarh.
As per the complaint filed with the CBI, Deepak has claimed that he was detained for two days at the office of the Operations Cell, Sector 26, and told to pay a bribe of Rs 7 lakh to ensure that no legal action would be taken against him. The bribe amount was later negotiated down to Rs 5 lakh, with Deepak finally agreeing to pay Rs 3 lakh to two private persons, Manish Dubey alias Babloo and Anil Kumar alias Kuki.
In the remand application submitted in the court of special CBI judge, Jagjit Singh, the counsel for the bureau stated, “Deepak reported to the CBI that on July 22, some policemen came and told him that Inspector Harinder Sekhon posted in the Operations Cell wanted to see him. On reaching the Sector 26 Operations Cell office, Deepak found Constable Pawan and Inspector Harinder Sekhon already present there. Constable Pawan asked the complainant whether he knew Mani (Amandeep Singh alias Mani Rajput). Deepak told them that Mani was his childhood friend.
After hearing this, constable Pawan and Inspector Harinder Sekhon told him that Mani was wanted in a case and there was a text chat between them proving he was involved as well. They threatened that they will add the name of Deepak in the FIR registered against Mani.”
The remand application further stated, “Pawan and Harinder Sekhon, however, assured Deepak that if he paid Rs 7 lakh to them they will keep his name out of the FIR. Both the policemen detained Deepak in the Operations Cell’s office for two days. On July 23, Deepak was let off with a warning to pay a bribe of Rs 5 lakh. On July 27, Deepak received a call from Babloo ( Manish Dubey) who told him that his friend Kuki (Anil Kumar) knew Pawan and Harinder Sekhon. Later in the evening, Deepak along with Babloo and Kuki went to the Operations Cell where he found Pawan and Harinder Sekhon. This time they demanded Rs 5 lakh.”
A CBI officer said, “Deepak was unwilling to pay the bribe money. He, therefore, approached the CBI and filed a written complaint against Manish Dubey, Anil Kumar, constable Pawan and Inspector Harinder Sekhon on July 29. The probe was marked to CBI Inspector, Sharad Bhasin, who made a verification report and lodged an FIR against Pawan, Manish Dubey aka Babloo and Anil Kumar aka Kuki.”
Harinder Singh Sekhon, a man not new to controversies
Controversies always seem to have followed Sekhon. In March this year, following the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab police had constituted a SIT to probe the role of Inspector Sekhon along with others in the alleged kidnapping of a city-based dentist, Dr Mohit
Dhawan. Dhawan was arrested in a case of forgery and cheating.
As per details, Inspector Harinder Singh Sekhon was known for taking part in extra-curricular activities frequently, and was a professional body builder who had represented Chandigarh Police and India at many national and international events. In 2019, Sekhon made the city and his department proud by winning the bronze medal in Men’s Physique Category at the America Amateur Olympia 2019 Bodybuilding Competition.